


How Far Might We Go

by VigilanteFlower



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types, SPECTRE (2015), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Ending - SPECTRE, Fluff, M/M, Oblivious Q, Post-SPECTRE, SPECTRE Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 03:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5400791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VigilanteFlower/pseuds/VigilanteFlower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When James takes off after fulfilling the SPECTRE mission, rumour has it he won't be returning to his position as 007. However, when he shows up to say what the Quartermaster assumes to be a goodbye, Bond asks him out for breakfast instead. </p><p>(An alternate ending and continuation of SPECTRE in which Q expects James to be his woman loving self, but James has other plans. Rating will go up.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Ending that Wasn't

**Author's Note:**

> So...I started writing this as a sad little angst drabble and somehow it turned into something sweet and charming? This might just be a one shot, so if you want it to continue, let me know in the comments!

Q sat at his desk in the early morning hours with a beautifully steaming cup of Earl Grey at his side. He never could stay in bed when he had things on his mind and at this particular point in time he absolutely had to try and fix the issue with his latest project. He had waltzed into Q Branch a little after five in the morning, earning a slightly confused stare from the security guard. A guilty looking smile and a comment about not being able to sleep got him through just fine, along with his security pass. Truth be told, he hadn’t actually been sleeping well recently, so maybe an over active mind wasn’t his only reason for wanting to occupy his time with something else. 

It had been about two weeks now since the incident on the overpass and the word was that 007 had once again tendered his resignation with the intention of disappearing into the sunset while hand in hand with another beautiful, intelligent woman. It wasn’t as if there was a shortage of them in his life, so really the whole thing wasn’t very surprising. Completely predictable.

And yet Q couldn’t quite get himself to sleep at night. He had met her, she was lovely, charming, and knew her way around a tight situation. If there was one thing Q wasn’t, that was Madeline Swan. He really needed to get himself sorted, he was comparing himself to one of Bond’s lovers now and he had never been one to lose sleep over something so silly.

But, for every coy smile and sidelong glance that Madeline had, James had twice the wit and guile. It bothered Q. Not only was James a coworker, but perhaps the least eligible bachelor he ever could have come across. Not to mention the man appeared to be as straight as a level edge. It was practically his job to be single. Hence, when no longer being single, he had apparently decided to part ways with his position and pursue a lengthy and wholesome retirement. 

Q realized he’d stopped typing part way through coding and about ten whole minutes had lapsed without his noticing. A rather audible sigh made his shoulders droop and floppy curls swoop gently to the side. This just wouldn’t do. He knew why he couldn’t stop thinking about James, he just really didn’t want to think about why he couldn’t stop thinking about James because _God_ , he did _not_ want to _think_ about that bloody _double oh_ any more.

When it came down to it and he was forced to acknowledge the nagging truth inside his head, he just really didn’t want to stop working with Bond. As much as he loved to hate him, there was a somewhat more significant part of Q than he would like to admit, that hated to love him as well. 

He wasn’t entirely sure when it had happened, and maybe it wasn’t full blown romantic abandon, but there was definitely a portion of himself that was more than a little smitten with the fearsome agent. Q had noticed the first hint of it when he had agreed to let 007 disappear for a few days, but most of all when he’d been in the airport bathroom swallowing down a drug cocktail that would make him little more than a zombie for the next several hours of his life. He didn’t fly for just anyone.

Now here he was, sitting at his desk with a half-baked solution to a ridiculous problem and no solution to an even more ludicrous issue. Really, the only thing to do was accept it and get over the delusional work place crush he had on 007. It just wouldn’t do, especially since the man was leaving. 

That settled it, he was smart enough to know when he was beat. Madeline would be sailing off into the sunset with James Bond on a yacht and Q would remain in his poorly lit lab and shoo people away from his organized chaos when it was necessary. Though sadly, a particular set of gleaming blue eyes would no longer be looking back at him when he did so. 

The Quartermaster glanced up as he heard the lift arriving. It was still well before opening so he was on guard, until the opening doors revealed a very familiar silhouette. His brows dipped towards the bridge of his nose and a hesitant, curious, “Bond? What are you doing here?” slipped past his lips.

“Good morning, Q.” Came the smooth reply as the double oh sauntered casually into the Quartermaster’s empty lab. Q, being a bit unsettled by the sudden appearance, felt an uneasy drop in his stomach, because this was very likely Bond stopping by early to collect his things and make a final good bye without too much fuss. He got up and walked around the desk, approaching his companion. 

“I thought you’d gone.” Even Q wasn’t exactly sure what was meant behind the statement. Was he being hopeful? Was he looking for clarification? Either way, he hadn’t been expecting the reply. 

“Well, I did think about it, but when I thought a little harder, there was something I just couldn’t leave without.” Bond’s hands were calmly tucked inside his pockets and his eyes showed all that unwanted promise that they usually did. Q however, was frowning, his expression quizzical. Though he might be a genius, he couldn’t think of a proper answer to the strangely phrased statement. It was almost like James was asking him a question when he said it.

After a pause that went on for far too long, James let out a little huff of laughter and his eyes scrunched up at the corners before briefly looking down at his shoes and then meeting Q’s eyes again. Perhaps he’d misjudged the Quartermaster’s readiness to pursue the building crush 007 had been slowly but surely noticing over the past several months. Really, it was a little juvenile on Q’s part, but he highly doubted the bespectacled man had much experience with romance outside of grade school. He did have just two cats and a mortgage after all. Which was not exactly unexpected if one simply took a moment to really look at the lanky young man. 

Bond took a few steps closer, bringing himself little less than a foot away from the Quartermaster, who still looked entirely too much like a befuddled puppy that didn’t understand where the ball had gone. He rather liked that there was no need to look down at Q, the man was basically the same height. “How would you like to go for breakfast?” He asked with an almost unnoticeable drawl.

The simple request snapped Q out of his tentative stupor and his shoulders straightened. “Oh, certainly. I’m quite famished actually, didn’t get much of a dinner. I’ll just grab my coat.” He turned and strode back to the desk, closing his laptop and fetching his oversized olive jacket. All the while, his heart was racing, because Bond had just confirmed he would not be leaving MI6, at least any time soon.

Bond watched and bit the inside of his bottom lip in an attempt to stop the amused grin from spreading across his mouth. The young Quartermaster seemed to be completely oblivious to what could have transpired moments earlier, so with that knowledge in hand, Bond made a decision. He would have a little fun with the Quartermaster’s crush.


	2. Eggs Benny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to this one shot being about ten times more popular than I expected, and a good number of hopeful comments, I've decided to continue it! Just working on how this is going to go, but figured I'd give you all that breakfast date in the mean time.

Q allowed Bond to choose their breakfast destination because he had been the one to invite him along. After a short jaunt a couple blocks down and a decent amount of comfortable silence, he was seated across from 007 in an upper scale restaurant that James had said made the best eggs Benedict in the city. That had made ordering easy because it was Q’s absolute favourite breakfast dish and he wondered briefly if somehow James knew that. Both men turned down a menu and ordered the same thing, exchanging a small look of approval with each other as they did so.

Once the waitress had left them to their own devices, Q crossed his arms on the table, before he realized he’d forgotten to take his coat off and let out a small “Oh,” as he disrobed of the hefty green jacket. His arms returned to the table and he looked quizzically at his early morning companion. 

“Rumour had it you resigned earlier this week. I though you’d decided to live with Madeline, and so did everyone else.” The bespectacled man tried very hard to leave any kind of overly interested inflection out of his voice; he thought the addition of ‘everyone else’ was a nice way to direct Bond off course.

“I’m not surprised. To be honest, I thought I might do that too, but…” He paused, and a rather far off look consumed his features for a brief moment before he seemed to return to the conversation. “It didn’t exactly work out for me the first time.” He left out many components of his answer when he put it so simply, like the fact that there was no denying Madeline was the daughter of a man intimately involved with Spectre, and that with having left Franz alive there was a complete possibility of him returning and knowing all too well who to hurt. At the end of it, the risks were too high and he refused to make the same mistake twice. Madeline was wonderful, lovely, and understood Bond’s shortcomings, accept his biggest one: his love for his job.

Q knew about the case of Vesper Lynd, how could he not? Even if he hadn’t already read Bond’s files and spoken to M about the agents he would be working with, the last two weeks worth of rumours had been paired with how silly Bond was to be repeating his past folly. They’d be happy to know he wasn’t. 

Q nodded slightly to show he both agreed and understood. Though he really needed to stop the little voice in his head that might be a bit too thankful for Bond making a wise decision.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve decided to stay on. As much of a walking disaster as you are, you get the job done and usually well, if in the wake of five too many explosions and a slew of demolished equipment.” He aimed a pointed look at the agent, his pursed lips communicating a significant dislike for that last bit. Bond laughed and his smile spread to his eyes, the crow’s feet bunching nicely in each corner.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was a rarely heard compliment from our steadfast Quartermaster, and more than one at that. My ears must be deceiving me.” Bond’s tone was perhaps a little too charming for it to be the simple teasing of a coworker. However, Q looked unimpressed by his sense of humour.

“I give them out when they are deserved, don’t get too comfortable with them. I don’t like to spoil people. It makes them gluttons and then they expect praise for everything, even when they’ve done a shoddy job.” The comment was aimed more at James than anyone and it was paired with a perhaps halfhearted glare, though he tried to make it seem intimidating.

“Well then I will have to take what I can get with grace.” He could tell the Quartermaster was making an effort not to leave himself open to infiltration from the agent’s prying eyes and ears. Q probably thought he was doing a fine job of hiding his flirtation under the guise of workplace criticism. James knew better, and quite liked it that way.

~

Breakfast had been delicious, to say the least. The ham was cooked perfectly, the egg poached to just the right consistency, and the hollandaise sauce had a sensational blend of salty and sweet tastes to lend the dish. Q had completely cleaned his plate and was leaning back in his chair with a contented sigh and a hand resting over his chest. 

“You really weren’t kidding about this eggs Benedict!” He stated with a little surprise in his voice. Bond was just working on the last bite of his own as a pleased grin picked up the corner of his mouth while he chewed.

“I would never lie to you, Quartermaster.” His words carried an interesting weight despite his joking tone and Q gave him an incredulous look. 

“Of course not 007, you would land yourself in several very uncomfortable situations without any assistance, if you did.” It was a threat with equal weight and just as much of a teasing tone. There was a certain thrill that tingled through Bond’s being at the reminder that Q had more power than he often remembered. For such a slight man, he had remarkable influence and ability. Both of which could land anyone in the worst situations with no end in sight if they were to get on his bad side. Bond really needed to keep that in mind.

The agent sat back as well and allowed his legs to extend underneath the table, one foot brushing up against Q’s ankle in a way that appeared to be just the right combination of casual and accidental. It did not go unnoticed. Q didn’t move his foot away and pretended he hadn’t felt a thing.

Their conversation swayed towards the subject of what Q had been most recently working on for his agents, and Bond seemed quite intrigued. All the while, James would make small, almost unnoticeable passes at Q’s feet with his own. The Quartermaster couldn’t help but think for a moment how unaware of his body Bond seemed to be right now considering his usual heightened sense of it. Perhaps it just meant he was particularly relaxed with his Quartermaster, which was not entirely wrong, and also a very pleasant thought. It made a warm feeling rise in Q's chest and he stuffed it back down mid explanation of a new weapon he was developing. 

Eventually, Q looked at his watch and jumped slightly, hand grabbing the edge of the table. “Oh my, I’ll be late if I don’t go back now. Will you be heading back to MI6, Bond?” The brunette was already on his feet and pulling at his jacket, fishing for his wallet as James rose to do the same. When he finally dug out the shabby looking money holder, Bond placed his hand over it and moved it down towards the oversized pocket. 

“My treat Q, I pulled you away from your work this morning. I have some things to take care of so you head on back and I’ll get the check.” Q looked at his companion with a mix of mild shock, and a twinge of affection that he quickly swiped away, but not before James saw it. There was an amused quirk to his lips as Q hurriedly looked away and shoved his pocketbook deep into his jacket. 

“Yes, well, thank you 007. I’ll see you later.” He didn’t make eye contact with the agent again as he made for the door, breaking into a brisk walk that turned into a run as he exited the building. James was smiling as he watched. The Quartermaster was just as smitten as he’d hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Since I'm still working on how this fic is going to unfold, let me know in the comments if you have any requests! Maybe one of them will be particularly inspiring and I'll roll with it~

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to let me know in the comments if you want it to be continued. :] If I do write more this will probably be fun, with a twinge of seriousness here and there, and a lot of sexual tension.


End file.
